Hydroplane.



11. EGKLBY.

HYDEOPLANB.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1910'.

999,971, 1 Patented Aug. 8,1911.

Inventor Ralph Ecg.

'UNTT RALPH ECKLEY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

HYDROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, ion.

Application filed June 3, 1910. Serial No. 565,249.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, RALPH EoKLnY, a citizen of the United States,resident of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydroplanes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hydroplanes, and the object of the inventionis to pro duce a hydroplane of simple construction having improvedpropelling means, and having great buoyancy.

In its general construction the hydroplane comprises a central body orhull which is supported above the water on fieX- ible planes mounted ateach side of the hull and driven in a rearward direction in the water inorder to advance the hull.

In the drawing which forms a part of the annexed specification, Figure 1is a side elevation of a hydroplane constructed according to myinvention, certain parts being broken away and shown in section. Fig. 2is a plan of the hydroplane shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing certain details ofthe construction.

Referring more particularly to the parts at represents the hull of thehydroplane which is of elongated form, having a pointed bow 5 and apointed stern 6. To the stern post 7 a rudder 8 is attached as shown,having a tiller 9 which projects forwardly in the usual manner.

Near the bottom 10 of the hull I provide a plurality of transverseshafts 11; said shafts being mounted in suitable bearings 12 as shown.These shafts project a con siderable distance on each side of the hulland carry rollers 18 which are rigidly at tached to the shafts. Theouter ends of the shafts are mounted in bearing frames 14:, which areformed of inclined bars as inclicated in Fig. 1. To the lower parts ofthese bearing frames 14, bolsters 15 are attached; these bolsters are ofsubstantially triangular form in cross section and extend transverselyunder the rollers 13, the upper sides of the bolsters presenting concavefaces 16 which lie adjacent to the curved faces of the rollers as shownin Fig. 1. The inner ends of these bolsters are connected by horizontalbraces or cross bars 17 which extend under the hull as shown in Fig. 3.

I have illustrated four of the shafts 11,

each shaft carrying a pair of rollers, said rollers being disposedrespectively at each side of the hull. These rollers are allsubstantially of the same diameter and on the rollers are supported twoendless belts or flexible hydroplanes 18. The two end shafts areprovided with sprocket wheels 19 which are connected by sprocket chains20 with similar sprocket wheelsQl, mounted on the intermediate shafts,and the intermediate shafts are connected by sprocket chains 22, whichrun over sprocket wheels 23 attached rigidly to the intermediate shaftsas shown. These chains and sprocket wheels are all mounted between thehull and the corresponding rollers.

WVithin the hull and near the middle point thereof it provide a motor orengine 2 having a shaft 25 which is connected by universal couplings 26with a stub shaft 27 having a bevel gear 28 which meshes with a bevelgear 29 on the rearmost of the shafts 11. In order to provide clearancefor the gears 28 and 29 which lie very close to the bottom 10, I providea pocket or recess 80 in the bottom as indicated most clearly in Fig. 2.The rollers 13 are hollow and air tight, giving them great buoyancy inthe water and the bolsters 15 are similarly constructed for the samepurpose. The bolsters 15 present fiat lower faces 31 which lie againstthe upper side of the lower run of the belts so as to receive the upwardpressure of the water on the under side of the belt as will be readilyunderstood.

At the points where the shafts 11 pass through the frames 14: hubs 32are provided which form bearings and beyond these hubs, collars 33 arerigidly attached to the shafts so as to hold the frames in position.

In the operation of the hydroplane the flexible belts are driven in thedirection of the arrow indicated in Fig. 1, that is the lower runs ofthe belt move in a rearward direction. These belts being driven at ahigh speed the hydroplane will advance and be borne up on the surface ofthe water, on account of the large area that the belts present and onaccount of the buoyancy of the rollers and the bolsters.

What I claim is 1. A hydroplane having a centrally dis posed body with aplurality of transverse shafts mounted in said body projecting from thesides thereof, rollers mounted on said shafts, with their faces nearlytouching, belts running over said rollers in a direction parallel to thelongitudinal. axis of said body, transversely disposed bolsters mountedon the under sides of said rollers bridging the space between the lowerfaces thereof and lying over the lower runs of said belt, and means fordriving said shafts.

2. A hydroplane having a centrally disposed body, a plurality oftransversely disposed shafts projecting laterally at the sides of saidbody, rollers mounted on said shafts, belts running over said rollers ina direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body, framesmounted on the outer ends of the said shafts and forming bearingstherefor, bolsters attached to said frames, disposed under and betweensaid rollers and disposed over the lower runs of said belts, and meansfor driving said shafts.

A hydroplane having a centrally disposed body, a plurality oftransversely disposed shafts rotatably mounted in said body, hollow airtight rollers mounted on said shafts, with their faces near together,belts mounted on said rollers and moving in a direction parallel to thelongitudinal axis of said body, hollow air tight bolsters disposed undersaid rollers bridging the space between the same and above the lowerruns of said belts, sprocket wheels carried by said shafts between saidrollers and said body, sprocket chains running over said sprocket shaftsand adapted to drive said shafts in unison and means for driving saidshafts.

4. A hydroplane having a centrally disposed body, transversely disposedshafts rotatably mounted in said body, and projecting laterally at thesides thereof, rollers mounted on said shafts, frames adjacent to theouter ends of said rollers forming bearings for said shafts, beltsrunning over said rollers in a direction parallel to the longitudinalaxis of said body, bolsters disposed under said rollers between saidrollers having their outer ends attached to said frames, bars connectingthe inner ends of said. bolsters under said body, sprocket wheelsmounted on said shafts adjacent to said body, sprocket chains connectingsaid sprocket wheels and means for driving said shafts.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 28th day of May, 1910.

RALPH ECKLE Y.

Witnesses:

F. D. AMMEN, .EDMUND A. STRAUsn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

